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I'm sure this has been thought of many times before, but I've been wanting to experiment with a variant in which every race down the stack gets two special powers. I think there is a card in Tales and Legends that grants a similar privilege temporarily, but this would be for the whole game. Some combinations would be killer, while others would not add much. Not having tried it, I'm sure there would be many moments of complexity (and exceptions) when combining powers, but here's the basics as I see them:

Each race gets two special powers. The number of race tiles is determined by the lower of the two special powers. For example, Hordes of (5) Merchant (2) Skeletons (6) would start with 6+2 Skeleton tiles (plus the 2 additional Hordes tiles, which are not part of the count, but would still realize the Merchant benefit). If two powers should ever turn out to be mutually exclusive or impossible to combine (not sure if such a case exists), the aspects of the primary power (nested into the race placard itself) take precedence over the secondary power.

An interesting variant on this variant could be that each race gets two special powers: one that is visible and another that isn't known until the race is picked. The second hidden powers could be set to the side of the race stack, or they could be drawn in order or randomly whenever a race is chosen. With this variant, the tile count rule from above could be applied or not (if so, finding a hidden Cursed power would suck!).

Double powers is a good way to force the old game (with many rounds played) to look different. Except this, I don't really love the idea of 2 powers.
Some thoughts:

1. Two really good powers for a race, that fits good to a current situation on the field, can nearly win the game.

2. "Second power hidden" rises up random factor. Look at "Tales and Legengs" addon. Players can see the next event and prepare. Look at the way we choose races. We can preview 6 of them and understand, how to act, if elves dragon masters are near, while you hold important popular place.
Small World is based on the mechanic "you know what may happen next and can set some tactical moves according to this". Random relics and places, activating the same turn, are out of this rule, but it is not enough to break the game. And hidden second combo will change the game roughly, I think : )

3. Maybe better several stonehedges : ) You can acquire scond power, but your opponent can conquer it.
By the way, you play with visible powers and opened stonehedges. Everyone knows what to run for.
There is a scenario in DW Realms built with same principle.

And for the last - I'm not sure there is any 100% best 2 powers combo. If to play this way : ) It depends on the race and on the situation.
As for me, I will probably prefer commando + dragonmaster for sorcerer. And put him in DWU for having fun there : ).

Double powers sounds like an interesting mechanic, but can I suggest going a step further?
player1304997 has a post called "Small World Hybrid" where he talks about playing two race combos together as a single race. I've tried it, and it's a whole different experience. I think I've been converted to a whole new Small World!